Northern Cyprus

Travel to Kyrenia, Nicosia, Rizokarpaso and Famagusta on this Northern Cyprus Adventure

Although the island country of Cyprus remains divided after a military coup in 1974, the beauty of the land and hospitality of the people stand unfettered as the country edges towards unification. Hunt for castles and monasteries, swim off the shimmering northern coastline, sit wistfully under the Tree of Idleness or watch the donkeys wander along the landscape as you walk down to Golden Beach – this eastern Mediterranean adventure offers plenty of experiences and unforgettable memories to boot.

Why you'll love this trip

Visit fairytale-like St Hilarion Castle, famously rumoured to be used by Walt Disney as inspiration for the castle in Snow White and Seven Dwarfs.

Set sail from Kyrenia (Girne- Turkish) and explore the coastline, stopping along the way for a refreshing swim and lunch.

Discover Europe's last divided capital, known as Lefkosia to the Turkish and Nicosia to the Cypriot communities, it is full of surprises with an eclectic mix of cultures and architecture.

Stay in a traditional Cypriot village where residents have been working together to preserve local culture and heritage.

Join your village hosts for some traditional bread and cheese making

Is this trip right for you?

We recommend packing light as you’ll need to carry your own luggage on and off transport and to and from hotels.

You’ll need your walking shoes, we will be exploring some historical sites on guided tours. But you can always wander at your own pace if you prefer.

This trip crossed from Northern Cyprus into Cyprus. Walking the imaginary green line between to the two republics and crossing over for a quick cup of coffee is actually a highlight for many visitors. However, it's important you read the visa information carefully before booking this trip.

Gallery

Itinerary

Welcome to Kyrenia (Girne-Turkish), a beautiful town that boasts an average of 320 sunny days per year. Come 6pm, begin your travels with a welcome meeting at the Nostalgia Hote. Check with reception to confirm the specifics just to be safe. If you’re going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. Your trip leader will be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at the meeting, so please have these on hand.

In ages past, Kyrenia's horseshoe harbour played home to carob warehouses, one of the region’s former major exports. These days, it’s lined with lively bars and shops underneath the nearby Venetian Castle that creates an interesting contrast between old and new. Considered to be the cultural and economic centre of Northern Cyprus, there’s no better place to begin your adventures through the island.

Meals Included

Embark on a walking tour of Kyrenia -Girne’s Old town in the morning. The winding alleyways reveal a quaint mix of old stone buildings with colourfully restored architecture, along with the spectacular remains of the abandoned 16th-century Chrysopolitissa Church. Take a visit to the Venetian Castle that guards the city, taking in the magnificent sea vistas from the top of the fortifications.

In the afternoon, travel the picturesque St Hilarion Castle. With walls and towers that sprout out of the rocks almost randomly, it’s rumoured that Walt Disney used the castle as inspiration for The Queen’s Castle in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The highest point stands at a towering 730 metres (2395 feet) above sea level, offering a marvellous view of the lands below. From this point on, continue to Bellapais to explore its monastery, one of the few and fantastic Gothic architectural masterpieces of Cyprus. The village and the monastery became famous after Lawrence Durrell’s book Bitter Lemons of Cyprus, where he mentioned passing time by drinking coffee under the Tree of Idleness – yet two trees claim this title, and it remains uncertain which is the true location.

Included Activities

Girne - Venetian Castle

Girne - St. Hilarion Castle

Girne - Bellapais Monastery

Meals Included

Enjoy a day on the water floating around the shores of Kyrenia, considered as one of the best ways to experience Northern Cyprus. Watch as the rolling hillsides and towns on the coast slowly roll by while you take in the sunshine on the deck. A few quick stops at one of the crystal clear coves in the area offers the perfect chance for a dip in the ocean – however you’re more than welcome to lay back on the deck with a drink if you’d prefer. Take some time out along the way for a delicious Mediterranean lunch with the group, helping to recharge your batteries before heading back to the port at 4pm.

Included Activities

Girne - Day Boat Cruise

Meals Included

Known as Lefkosa to the Turks and Nicosia to the Greeks, the city is full of surprises thanks to a mix of cultures and architecture. The Selimiye Mosque is one of the Turkish side’s highlights, previously known as the Cathedral of Saint Sophia before the Ottomans added minarets in 1571. Marvel upon the interior’s whitewashed walls and examine traces of Gothic architecture lying in the architecture despite the Islamic refurbishment of the building.

Afterwards, take a walking tour passing through both sides of the country’s green line. Your passport will be required for the checkpoints at the border and the intriguing contrasts between the divided city will become apparent as you enter the Greek side of the island. Later in the afternoon, loop back into the Turkish side with a trip to the Rizokarpaso - The Karpaz Peninsula before spending the evening at a log cabin in the national forests near Byukkonuk, a traditional Cypriot village.

Meals Included

Breakfast

Special Information

You will need your passport with you today at the checkpoints as we cross into the Greek side of the island

Begin today at Buyukkonuk, a traditional Cyprus village where residents have been working together to preserve local culture and heritage. Meet with your hosts Lois and Ismail before engaging in some traditional bread and cheese making and with a sneaky tasting afterwards. Before lunch, perhaps take a wander through the local fields to the remains of the Auxendios church. The Karpaz Peninsula is literally covered with abandoned churches, many have been left for years and have since been re-purposed as shelters for farm animals or simply left to fall in favour for new mosques. Enjoy a traditional village vegetarian meal for lunch, using local produce such as carob pekmez and zivania – a local firewater made from grape skins.

Later in the afternoon, journey further along the Karpaz to explore some of the area’s remote beaches and villages, keeping an eye out for donkeys in the countryside. Spend tonight at this seaside escape, a mere stone’s throw away from the Golden Sands.

Included Activities

Buyuk Konak - Bread & Cheese making

Meals Included

Emanating a certain rustic charm, this undeveloped slice of paradise on the remote Mediterranean coast is yours to explore today. Take a drive to the tip of the peninsula and visit the Apostolos Andreas Monastery. It’s thought that the monastery has stood here since Byzantine times, founded here during a journey to the Holy Land by Saint Andrew. Andrew went off course, becoming shipwrecked after striking the rocks here. A water spring gushed out of the location where the boat struck, miraculously healing the sight of the ship’s captain who had been blind in one eye. In modern times, the monastery has been under an extensive restoration program which leaves much of the location inaccessible to the public – however the church is still open for entry and the views from this location are stunning. The afternoon is free for you to spend as you wish, so perhaps spend some time relaxing at the beach or watching the local donkeys frolic around the landscape – please refrain from feeding them if you do.

Included Activities

Karpaz - Apostolos Andreas Monastery

Meals Included

Wake up early and begin travelling towards Gazimagusa, stopping off at the ancient city of Salamis on the way. Once a thriving port city, Salamis served many dominant groups over the course of history including the Assyrians, Persians, Egyptians and Romans. Continue on to St Barnabus’ Monastery, dedicated to St Paul’s good Cypriot friend Varnavas (Barnabas) who carried out missionary work on the island.

After arriving in Famagusta (Gazimagusa-Turkish) in the early afternoon, check in to your hotel situated behind the massive iconic walls of the old city. Famagusta or Gazi to the locals is one of the finest examples of medieval architecture in the eastern Mediterranean and a walk over the walls is much like wandering through an open-air museum. The beautiful cathedral of St Nicholas, refurbished and renamed to the Lala Mustafa Pasa Mosque, is considered to be the centre-point of the city and marks the starting location of a guided walking tour. Explore the antiquates of this colourful city, leaning about the modern history of the region after the 1974 coup that split the island in half. As the night sets in, enjoy a farewell dinner this evening before sharing a cocktail in the Hamam bar with your new friends.

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Important notes

1. A single supplement is available on this trip.
2. Please check the visa information before booking flights. You may want to consider entering and exiting from the same airport.

Essential trip information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.